


How Can You Stand Me?

by AngelWithAStory



Category: Young Justice (Cartoon)
Genre: Bluepulse, Jaime/Bart Feels!!!, M/M, Nightwing's not taking this well, OMG I'm Killing Myself With The Sweetness!!!!, Post Before The Dawn, small amount of fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-12-16
Updated: 2013-01-08
Packaged: 2017-11-21 07:06:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 9,879
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/594876
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AngelWithAStory/pseuds/AngelWithAStory
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Post- Before The Dawn. Jaime now knows, eventually, he will become the Blue Beetle Bart fears. He'll enslave humanity and ruin the Earth in the name of The Reach. Bart still treats him like his best friend, and Jaime can't understand. If Bart knows what's going to happen, what he'll become, why does he still hang around him?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. How Can You Still Stand Me?

**Author's Note:**

> I finished season 2 of YJ and had MAJOR Jaime/Bart feels!!!!! I ship them so I thought this would be a cool idea. This is basically how Jaime comes to terms with what Bart has told him. Implied romantic relationship but it's not really explored. Please comment because I would love to know what you think and I could do with a few pointers since I'm still new to writing non-serious stories.

The bio-ship landed back at the Hall of Justice and Nightwing quickly organised a squad to take the civilians back to their homes. Batgirl, Wondergirl and Superboy were ‘Alpha’ squad, and along with Nightwing were in charge of that mission. Everyone else got off the bio-ship. Jaime wondered to the hangar door and stepped put into the night (which was against Nightwing’s instructions). Bart saw him slip out, and concern took over his thoughts. Aware he couldn’t go out in his hero gear; Bart raced to change into normal clothes and headed for the door as well.  
“You know it’s probably not the smartest thing to be out here alone. Not after today.” Bart commented, racing up to his friend. It was obvious he, at least, tried to keep his voice light. Jaime froze and slowly turned around to face him.  
“Don’t you have another amigo to bother?” Jaime asked tiredly.  
“Honestly; no.” Bart admitted. “And I want to talk to you.”  
“Why do you want to talk to me, hermano?” Jaime demanded, shoving his hands into his jean pockets. “You said it yourself; Blue Beetle brings on the ‘Reach Apocalypse’. So why do you want to talk to me when you know what awful things I do?!” Bart didn’t know how to respond.  
“You’re free now. The Reach can’t get you now.” Bart said weakly.  
“Yes they can hermano!” Jaime shouted. “The base wasn’t destroyed! The Reach is still out there, still working with the Light, so the apocalypse can still happen!” the force of Jaime’s words made Bart take a step back. Jaime looked straight into his eyes and Bart saw the hurt, and the fear that plagued him.

**“I’m still Blue Beetle.”**

He said the words softly, turning away. Bart’s muscles stayed locked and he couldn’t do anything other than stare at the Scarab on Jaime’s back. The Scarab that did _this_ to him. That taunted him and transformed him into Blue Beetle.  
Time stopped (or at least slowed down dramatically) and the two stayed still. Jaime’s thoughts raced and he suddenly made up his mind. He started walking away. Away from the Hall of Justice. Away from Bart. But Bart noticed and he wasn’t going to give up on Jaime, no matter what he said.  
“Blue, where are you going?” Bart asked, catching up to him.  
“I’m not going to endanger any of you anymore. And I’m certainly not going to stay here and wait for the Reach to come and find me.” Jaime announced. He paused and looked him square in the eye. “Goodbye hermano.” They had reached a wide field that surrounded the Hall. Bart ran in front of him with his arms out barricading Jaime’s way.  
“Blue! Running away won’t help.” He said, forcing Jaime to stop.  
“It might, and don’t call me Blue.” Jaime snapped. “I’m just Jaime Reyes to the rest of you now.”  
“Fine, Jaime, you’re an easier target if you don’t have friends around you, watching your back.” Bart reasoned.  
“I had friends watching my back before! But that didn’t make a difference! You and Beast Boy still got captured with me! I’m not having that happen again.” Jaime argued, his Blue Beetle suit covering his chest.  
“So what happens if you go alone?” Bart demanded, refusing to let him leave. “What happens if you do come across some Reach people? You’ll have no one, they could easily over power you; and then what?!” he shouted at Jaime, forcing him to see sense. Visions of that containment pod and that scientist (if you could call that thing a scientist) flooded Jaime’s head and blocked out reality until he couldn’t think of anything else.  
“Jaime?” he could distantly hear Bart’s voice echoing around his head. “Jaime, stay with me.” His voice was becoming clearer. Jaime’s eyes opened and he realised he had fallen to his knees. The grass was dry and Jaime could feel Bart’s hand on his shoulder.  
“Sorry hermano.” He mumbled, getting to his feet.  
“What did they do to you? In that lab, I mean?” Bart asked, helping him up. Jaime made a quick choice in his mind but the scarab on his back had an opinion to voice.  
“This boy shows concern, he may be trustworthy.” It hissed in his mind. Jaime ignored it, already decided on what to do.  
“They were going on about the Scarab. They said something about it not working as the right operative on Earth or something, but that they had to reboot it. They were going to remove the Scarab and use another ‘host body’ to see if it would function properly. The only problem was, removing the Scarab would kill me. Then they used this laser-thing, and that’s when I blacked out and you showed up.” Jaime confessed, glad he had someone to confide it.  
“Whoa.” Bart breathed, looking at the ground, still propping Jaime up.  
“That’s not even the worst part.” Jaime said, drawing a long breath into his lungs. “When you were all on the bio-ship, and I was just fighting Black Beetle, the Scarab took over my body so I had a better chance of winning against him. It was terrifying, not being in control, since I was losing. I wasn’t powerful enough, even with the Scarab making all my decisions. I survived by chance, hermano.” He said, feeling weaker than he ever had before.  
“Then don’t give them that chance again.” Bart told Jamie. “The Team needs to stick together, Jaime.”  
“I guess.” Jaime agreed, starting to walk back to the Hall of Justice. “Thank you, hermano.” He whispered, hugging Bart sincerely. Bart wrapped his arms around Jaime and appreciated having his friend on his side. All he had to do was keep him safe. The reason they were caught in the first place was because he would let him and Beast Boy be harmed by Kaldur and his team. A small part of his heart would always feel guilty about that. Bart started leading his friend back the way they came, one of his arms still around Jaime’s waist.


	2. Don't Tell The Team, What You Told Me.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bart and Jaime get back to the Hall of Justice, where they encounter a furious Nightwing. But that was to be expected.
> 
> What they don't expect is how the evening turns out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay between the chapters. I had written this ages ago but the site crashed and I got lazy.   
> Anyway, on with the story!

The Hall of Justice came into view along the horizon as Bart help Jaime along. 

                “Hermano, can you promise me something?” Jaime asked, trying to straighten his back but feeling an intense pain along his spine.

                “Sure, what is it?” Bart promised, peering curiously at his friend.

                “Don’t tell the team. What you told me. Knowing them, they'll put me in a secure room where I can never leave.” Jaime joked, smiling at Bart. Bart wrapped his arms around Jaime again and held him tight as an answer. Jaime felt a warmth in his chest and held onto Bart. They finally made it back to the Hall only to be confronted by Nightwing, who was furious. 

                “Where have you been?!” he hollered the moment they showed themselves. “I specifically told you: NO ONE LEAVES THE HALL! You didn't follow orders!” Nightwing accused, his face slowly growing red with suppressed fury. He wasn't the only one though. Lots of the older members we're looking at them disapprovingly.

                “Technically we left before you gave the order.” Jaime countered, knowing far well he was pushing his luck. 

                “So we got here, then you _immediately_ took off?” Nightwing repeated, gripping his hair in anger. “Did you forget you BOTH were just kidnapped by the Reach?” he demanded. Bart could feel Jaime tense up and wince by that statement.

                “We did not forget. I just needed some time to collect my thoughts.” Jaime defended, refusing to be treated like an idiot. 

                “So why was Impulse with you?” Nightwing interrogated, crossing his arms. Before Bart could react, Batgirl spoke up from her seat.

                “Come on Nightwing. We just busted them out of a testing lab; of course they're going to not want to talk to anyone. Would you?” she said defensively. 

                “But they still disobeyed a direct order...” Nightwing persisted.

                “And you'll punish them later.” Batgirl finished his sentence for him, resting a firm hand on his shoulder. “Now what was this 'intelligence' you got from the Watch Tower?” reluctantly, Nightwing dropped the subject and started recalling how the Reach had gone to the UN headquarters in New York. 

New York. That wasn't far from the Hall. Panic tightened Jaime's chest to the point where he was gasping for breath. Bart held him upright, trying to support Jaime as best he could.

                “What's wrong with Blue?” Wondergirl asked, concernedly. 

                “Bad memories.” Bart replied vaguely, setting Jaime down on a chair. He was breathing easier but the attention from everyone else wasn't helping. 

                “Blue, is there something you need to tell me? Why did you suddenly freak out?” Nightwing interrogated, standing over Jaime and Bart looking both worried and annoyed. 

                “Dude, I can't.” Jaime said, drawing air into his lungs and trying to relax the muscles in his chest. 

                “Why can't you. If there's something of importance, the league needs to know. I need to know.” Nightwing persisted. 

                “It's me the Reach want, okay hermano?” Jaime blurted out, looking Nightwing full in the face. 

“What?” Batgirl dropped to her knees beside Jaime and laid a comforting hand on his knee.        “What do you mean, 'the Reach want you'?”

                “The worker that was experimenting on me said something about the Scarab not functioning properly, I think. They wanted to remove it, to reboot it. And see if it would function properly with a different host.” Jaime explained, looking at the ground in defeat.

                “What Scarab?” Beast Boy asked naïvely. Jaime's stood up and turned around to reveal his bare back (his hoodie and t-shirt gone when he woke up in the labs) and the electric blue Scarab that was now a part of him. He could hear a small, stifled gasp and promptly sat back down again.

                “So the Reach has something to do with the Scarab, and possibly the original Blue Beetle?” Nightwing asked to clarify.

                “The Reach _MADE_ the Scarab. They knew how it functioned and they said something about it being ‘the operative on Earth’,” Jaime corrected. A stunned silence met what he said. “They also said removing it would kill me.” he added, just so they could understand his position. Bart put an arm around his shoulder to show he was still there for him. Batgirl stood up slowly and whispered to Nightwing.

                “The league has to know about this.” she hissed, looking worried. 

                “The league can't know about this.” Jaime interrupted 

                “He’s right. The Reach is public now. If the Justice League takes action to protect Blue, people will notice. The public won't take it well and the press will have a field day. ‘JUSTICE LEAGUE HIDES AWAY BLUE BEETLE’ then the Reach will know we know, and take even more extreme measures against us.” Wondergirl reeled off, all in one breath it seemed, her voice dramatising her words greatly. The team looked at her in shock, none of them had thought about that. 

                “Noted.” Beast Boy muttered, trying to pump some humour back into the situation. 

                “Cassie's got a point.” Bumblebee agreed. “But we can't do nothing. What if the Reach jumps us on our next mission, or gain knowledge of our whereabouts? And we can't leave Blue here by himself while we go and do missions." she debated, looking specifically at Nightwing. 

                “I don't know what we're going to do, but you’re right Bumblebee: we can't do nothing. We'll zeta to the Watch Tower in the morning and, I'm sorry, but we have to speak to someone about our headquarter situation, at least . Right now, everyone needs sleep.” Nightwing declared, sending everyone off to find somewhere to sleep. Most people took either a seat or the chair in a clump but Jaime didn't want to feel like everyone was looking at him in his sleep, so he slept further away from everyone else. Actually, he didn't even go to sleep, not for hours anyway. He just sat, back against the wall, looking out at everyone. Bart woke up with a start and quickly checked around him. A line of sweat appeared on his forehead and when his eyes fell on Jaime, he sighed a breath of relief. Slowly, Bart crawled over to where he was, sitting next to Jaime.

                “You okay buddy?” he whispered, not wanting to wake up anyone else.

                “No hermano. Anything but.” Jaime replied, looking at him. Dark circles had cropped up under Jaime's eyes and he looked miserable.

                “Have you slept?” Bart asked, looking concerned.

                “I can't sleep. I'm too busy thinking about what might happen if the Reach gets me on ‘mode’. If they managed to reboot the Scarab, it'll kill me, and someone else might turn into the Blue Beetle that starts the Reach Apocalypse. It's too much, you know hermano.” Jaime explained, raking his hand through his very short hair. 

                “But buddy, it might not happen now. We got you out of there, so maybe they've given up? You need to sleep.” Bart suggested, edging ever so slightly towards Jaime so his thigh was just brushing against each others. 

                “I'll try.” Jaime said, not committing himself. Bart watched as he slowly succumbed to sleep's powerful take and how he leaned forwards dangerously. Carefully, Bart shifted Jaime's head so it was resting on his shoulder, and promptly fell asleep, listening to the heart beat of his best friend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just realised how fluffy it gets towards the end. Apologies if it's in order, but I ship them so I wanted the closeness with them and how they find comfort in each other. plus, IT'S SO SWEET!


	3. Meetings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Getting back to normal certainly isn't easy for superheroes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I saw a trailer for the other episodes, and I WANT THEM OUT NOW!!!!! But I also want this done. 
> 
> I'm seriously aching for more episodes, because Young Justice is amazing!!
> 
> Anyway, carry one with the story.

They weren't the first to wake up, but neither of them could have expected that. Not since it took ages for either of them to fall asleep. The once thing they could expect was for the team members to give them looks (some confused, some 'aww so sweet' expressions amongst them) while they slept. Jaime had his head on Bart's shoulder and Bart was resting his head on Jaime's, so they slept interlinked. M'gann watched them from the counter on the other side of the room, next to Nightwing and Mal Duncan. 

“I almost don't want to wake them.” she remarked, looking at the two boys with a maternal eye. She'd managed to get over her brief stupor, and having people she cared about around her helped. 

“They have to wake up soon so we can get to the Watch Tower.” Nightwing replied, dismissing it as easily as a leader can. Beast Boy was standing nearby, occasionally stealing a glance at his two friends, curled up next to each other. It was very weird for him, since he didn't know they were that close (emotionally, anyway). 

The two boys slowly stirred from their sleep, recognising where they were. Jaime stood up, still looking incredibly rough from lack of sleep, and suddenly became aware of how exposed he was. That wave of awkwardness was not helped by catching the looks some people gave them. A stray memory hit Jaime with a lot of force: he remembered being on the edge of sleep and feeling Bart's shoulder being offered as a pillow. That simple gesture of kindness from the one person who should hate him, really affected Jaime. He made a mental note to thank Bart at some point, but not when the team was giving them looks. 

“Not a word _amigos_.” Jaime said strongly, pointing a finger to the team mates looking at him funnily. Some of them laughed at his seriousness and others quickly looked away from embarrassment. 

“Come on Blue, it was sweet.” Wondergirl countered in the same, light-hearted way she took everything in life. Jaime ignored her comment. Bart walked up to the group at a very casual pace, not catching anyone's eye. He glanced at Jaime nervously, to see if he crossed a line somewhere, but Jaime wasn't showing either way. He kept chancing glances at Bart, hoping to catch his eye.

Superboy entered the room, and by looking at everyone’s face, he couldn’t help feeling his missed something. In his arms, he carried some clothes. Several people, not in the conversation watched Superboy come in, curious about how he got the clothes. He picked out a hoodie and threw it over to Jaime, who only just caught it.

“Thanks.” Jaime said surprised, looking over at Superboy.

“I found some civvies. I thought they might come in handy.” He justified, letting other people look through the pile of fabric. Jaime glanced down at the hoodie and pulled it over his head. It felt just like his old grey hoodie except this one was a burgundy red. It seemed right to be back in a hoodie, he felt like plain, civilian Jaime; not superhero Blue Beetle.

Nightwing called the team together in front of the zeta tube.

“Alright, one team will go up to the Watch Tower with me to share what we know. The rest of you will do check up on the teens we rescued, particularly the one’s Batgirl and Robin _didn’t_ come with. They’ll most likely be the ones kept the longest. Blue, Bart, M’gann and Beast Boy; you’ll come with me to the Watch Tower. The rest of you will take one person each. Make sure they are safe in their surroundings, and generally make sure they’re okay. Batgirl will give you the co ordinates and identity of each person we rescued. Clear?” Nightwing explained, looking around the team. Jaime, Bart, Beast Boy and M’gann stepped forwards next to Nightwing, looking fairly unsure. Murmurs from the rest of the team showed they understood.

“Okay team, gather ‘round.” Batgirl ordered, going over to the computer and tapping a few keys. Nightwing led his ‘elite’ team to the zeta tubes and entered the destination. The zeta tubes started whirring and scanned each of them. In turn, they stepped forwards and were transported up to the orbiting satellite that was the Justice League’s main headquarters. Bart whistled as he took in the impressive surroundings. Jaime looked about him, half scared about what he had to say. Beast Boy quickly focused on a small bird that had flown past and M’gann had to stop him running after it. Nightwing walked over coolly to the small cluster of adults waiting their arrival.

“So what’s this new intelligence?” One of them asked, a mean rasp in his voice. Nightwing brought his team over and everyone looked at Jaime expectantly. He swallowed and began speaking.

 

“The Reach is public. They can't do anything without it being noticed. They have us both cornered and out in the open.” Nightwing declared. They had regrouped with the rest of the team after an exhausting day on everyone’s part. Jaime had pestered Lagoon Boy for information on his friend Tye, because Lagoon boy had been assigned to making sure he was alright. Only when he was sure his best friend was safe, did Jaime actually leave Lagoon Boy alone.

“Black Beetle said they'd do anything to get me back ‘on mode’. There's no doubt they'll come after me, at _any risk_.” Jaime added, head in his hands. “I’m not safe anywhere.” He added under his breath. 

“Then we might as well go about business as normal.” Nightwing declared, sitting down. Everyone else just looked at each other. 

“How does that work?” Beast Boy asked. 

“Well, not totally normal. Blue, you’ll need a guard at all times. I can probably get someone from the league to take shifts...” Nightwing explained. 

“And the rest of us?” Superboy asked. 

“We may need to keep a low profile...” Nightwing began. 

“Because I’ll be out getting pictures taken for the paparazzi.” Jaime challenged. Nightwing glared at him. 

“If this is a joke to you....” he started. 

“My life is at risk because of this stupid Scarab! The Reach is after me and they've just gone _public_! This is way beyond a joke _hermano_.” Jaime countered, anger bubbling inside him. 

“Look Blue, I understand this is a huge problem, but I'm asking you to keep calm.” Nightwing said, his voice slightly softer. 

“Seriously _hermano_ , you expect me to keep calm. With all this? Would you?” Jaime questioned, his voice low. Bart sensed a fight brewing. He put a warning hand on his shoulder. Jaime flinched slightly at his touch but didn't try and shake off the speedster. 

“Blue. The League will protect you. The _team_ will protect you. The Reach won't be able to get to you if we're all looking out for you.” Nightwing reassured Jaime, also sensing a fight. 

“How can you guarantee that? Half the League's in space court and the only people here who know what the Reach's like is me, Bart, Beast Boy and Lagoon Boy. I just don't think you can keep that promise _hermano_." Jaime declared, walking out the door to the tourist main-way. The team watched him leave, the splash of red against the mellow tones of the Hall. Bart looked around at the team. 

“I’ll go see if he's okay.” Bart said in a small voice, jerking his thumb in the direction Jaime left. 

“Shouldn't he need some privacy?” Batgirl asked. Her question fell on deaf ears. Bart sped out the door and stopped just outside it. The darkness of the Hall was slightly ominous. Shadows fell on the huge statues above them. Bart's eyes scanned the empty space and quickly located Jaime. He was sitting with his back to wall, facing away from the door. He was tucked away so that, if Bart hadn't been looking for him, he would have been almost invisible. A sad smile on his face, Bart padded over. Silently, Bart sat down crossed-legged a few paces away from Jaime. He didn't speak; just sat. A small sound echoed through the barren room. Jaime covered his face with his hands and his shoulders were shaking slightly. Bart scooted forwards carefully. 

“Jaime?” He whispered timidly. Jaime jumped up and turned on him, his arm already coated in armour and a plasma cannon where his fist should be. Bart leapt to his feet as well, hands level with his shoulders. 

“Bart?” Jaime questioned, wiping his face furiously. “Why are you here?” he demanded. 

“I’m just seeing if you were alright.” Bart replied, stepping closer. 

“I’m fine! I don't need someone checking up on me! Especially you!” Jaime shouted, turning away. 

“Dude, I was just worried for you.” Bart defended, moving so Jaime had to look at him. 

“Well, don't be hermano!” Jaime exploded, shoving Bart out of his way. “Why don't you go tell Nightwing I'm going home? I need some time to think.” Jaime started walking towards the front door, determined not to face the team again. 

“Jaime you can't just leave!” Bart protested, running in front of Jaime. “I’m getting déjà vu.” he said to no one in particular. 

“This is no time for jokes man! My life is on the line, and worse: the future is too! If the Reach succeeds, you know better than anyone what will happen!” Jaime protested, pushing Bart away from him again. 

“Of course I know what will happen! Why do you think I came back?! Jaime, I know what happens in the future, so I won't let them anywhere near you again. That's a promise!” Bart said, standing his ground. 

“They got me in the first place!” Jaime pointed out, trying to push Bart out of his way. 

“And they got lucky.” Bart retorted, catching Jaime's hands as he tried to push Bart out of his way. Bart held Jaime's fists in his palm and looked him in the eye. “Jaime. I won't let that happen to you again.” He promised. “I won't let you die.” Bart's voice lowered to almost a whisper. Jaime's eye shut and small tears seeped out of the corners of his eyes. Jaime looked at Bart, the tears slowly descending down along his cheek, just touching the corner of his mouth. 

“This is just too much for me right now. Usually I can handle not knowing what's going to happen; but now....” Jaime said, closing his eyes again to try and hold himself together. He wasn't going to fall apart. Not now. That wasn't Jaime Reyes. Jaime took everything in his stride. Jaime was always prepared. Or should be...

“Jaime, it’s okay.” Bart hushed, sympathising with Jaime. Back in the Future, Bart couldn't afford to fall apart. He couldn't, and the last time he did fall apart from everything that was going on, he made the choice to escape. 

“Can you promise it will be okay?” Jaime asked, leaning down to rest his forehead on Bart's. Jaime needed his strength right now. 

“I can promise I'll never let anything happen to you. Not as long as I'm here.” Bart promised, tuning in to Jaime's heartbeat. 

“Then please don't leave me.” Jaime whispered, letting the final tear fall. Bart raised his gloved hand to Jaime's skin and wiped away the trail of sorrow from his friend. 

“I won’t.” Bart whispered back. Jaime felt a massive rush of gratitude inside his chest. His fists still rested against Bart's chest. Jaime could feel the warmth from Bart coming off him in small waves. 

“Never leave me Bart.” Jaime said in so small a voice, Bart almost didn't catch it. 

“I won’t Jaime, I promise.” Bart murmured, feeling Jaime's hands release themselves from his grasp. Bart opened his hands and Jaime wrapped his arms around Bart's back, holding him close. Bart snaked his own arms around Jaime's waist, lending him his strength. Jaime took it, drawing all the confidence he could from his companion. Bart's head rested over Jaime's heart, and Bart closed his eyes, focusing on the steady heart beat. That beat told him Jaime was still alive and that he was still with him. That heart beat told Bart that Jaime wasn't Blue Beetle. Not yet. 

Jaime rested his cheek in Bart's hair, feeling the strands tickle his skin. He could hear Bart breathing. Bart's small frame felt sturdy and he sank into the embrace. How could Bart be this strong? How could he stay strong? Jaime should be the strong one: he was older and he'd been a superhero longer. So why was _he_ taking comfort in Bart? Shouldn't it be the other way around? Questions raged through Jaime's mind, but one thing kept cropping up: he felt safe now. Jaime felt safer in Bart's arms than in his own armour. A weird feeling surfaced in his heart but he pushed it to the back of his mind. All either of them wanted to think about was now. Standing in each other’s embrace; and loving any second. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, I feel obliged to apologize for the semi-fluff. I don't know why, but I can't help it!


	4. El Paso, Sweet El Paso

“Nightwing to Impulse. Where are you exactly?” Nightwing's voice filled Bart's ear and he cringed slightly. 

“I’m with Jaime.” He answered, a small blush creeping up on him. Dawn started breaking over the horizon and Jaime was sitting on his bed with Bart at his side. 

“What?! Where are you both?” Nightwing demanded, forcing himself to not shout. 

“We’re in El Paso, at Jaime's house.” Bart clarified, keeping voice down. 

“Why?” Nightwing's voice rang out with annoyance. 

“You said Blue Beetle needed a guard. I'm taking first shift.” Bart replied, casting a nervous glance at Jaime. His brown eyes were fixed on the horizon and Bart knew he was reviewing everything that had happened. 

“Bart, I meant someone from the League to be his guard.” Nightwing said, completely exasperated. Why was it those two who were the trouble? "Look, it doesn't matter. Just stay with Blue and keep me posted. Don't do any paroles and I'll inform you when there's a mission. Nightwing out." The communicator went dead and Bart dropped his hand from his ear. 

“Nightwing says hi.” Bart told Jaime, causing a faint smile to flicker across his face. 

“What else did he say?” Jaime asked, shifting on his bed so he could see Bart. 

“Not to do any patrols, only come in when he tells us we have a mission and to keep him posted.” Bart recalled, looking at Jaime, trying to decipher his thoughts.

“Did he mention anything about school? I bet _mi madre_ told everyone I was ill, as an excuse.” Jaime asked, tearing his gaze away from the window. 

“No. I guess you go as normal.” Bart suggested, stretching his arms. 

“Dude, nothing's ever normal with me.” Jaime countered, the faint smile back on his face. “What will you do while I'm at school if you're my guard?” 

“I dunno Blue. Drop you off and wait for you, I guess. I can't follow you around school, and there are loads of people looking out for you during school.” Bart mussed, leaning against the wall. 

“Sounds like a plan _hermano_.” Jaime agreed “Just don't get in trouble while I'm at school. I still need to keep my secret ID.” Jaime joked. Bart smiled radiantly at him. 

“Hey, I might just go back to Jay and Joan's and run back in time to pick you up.” Bart suggested. A small tap at the door startled Bart, but Jaime calmly got up from his bed and opened the door. His mum was standing at the door. She was still a bit teary from the reunion that happened last night (or this morning. It was dark outside, if that helped). It was very emotional. Jaime’s whole family surrounded him, eternally grateful for his safety. His little sister had run up to him, her hair flying out behind her comically. Bart had no idea Jaime even had a little sister, but that didn’t make it any less sweet. Eventually, the reunion died down, and Jaime explained the situation as best he could. Purposely, he left out the part about his life being in danger and having The Reach after him, for obvious reasons. The Reyes’ were slightly wary about Bart, but it was Jaime’s little sister who broke the ice. She walked up to Bart and thanked him for saving her brother. Jaime’s mum and dad offered him a place for him during his turn as guard, and Bart accepted.

“Jaime, Bart. I’m making some food, you boys hungry?” Mrs Reyes asked, stepping into the room.

“Sounds great, _madre_. We’ll be down in a few minutes.” Jaime promised her, silently closing the door after her. He turned around to face Bart, who was standing beside him.

“You’re family’s very kind, letting me camp out here while I’m on guard.” Bart commented, following Jaime.

“I think they’re just happy I’m alive.” Jaime commented. The pair walked into the dining room, where a breakfast buffet was waiting for them. Jaime’s mum came in, carefully placing a dish of fried eggs on the table. Bart whizzed to her side.

“Thank you Mrs Reyes for letting me stay here temporarily. I appreciate the hospitality.” Bart thanked earnestly. His personality in that sentence was very different to how he was normally: hyper and energetic. He seemed calmer and sadder.

“It is no trouble at all Bart. We’re very thankful you’re watching out for our Jaime, along with the team.” Mrs Reyes replied, smiling sincerely at the young speedster. Jaime’s younger sister walked in and sat down at the table, her wide eyes scanning the faces around her. Mr Reyes was already sat down, today’s paper smoothed on the table. He heard Bart and smiled to himself at Bart’s manners. Jaime gestured for him to sit down and the two of them took a seat. Mrs Reyes laid the final plate on the table and told everyone to dig in. Bart took small (small for a speedster anyway) portions and forced himself not to shovel his food down. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Mr Reyes watching him.

“What are your powers Bart?” Mr Reyes asked suddenly, breaking the silence that had fallen.

“Pardon?” Bart questioned, taking a small drink to clear his throat.

“What are your powers? You’re part of Jaime’s team, I’m assuming. I’m just curious.” He justified, taking a bite out of his meal.

“I’m a speedster Mr Reyes. Like the Flash.” Bart replied, not liking the spotlight being solely on him.

“And what does a ‘speedster’ do?” Mr Reyes continued.

“Well, I can run really fast. I can create funnels of air and small tornadoes. I can vibrate through matter. I’m just fast.” Bart explained lamely, heat creeping up on his cheeks at the attention.

“Can you go through walls?” Jaime’s little sister asked, her big eyes even wider than before.

“ _Hermana_ , not now.” Jaime warned, looking at his sister sternly.

“No Jaime, it’s okay.” Bart reassured his friend. The speedster turned to Jaime’s sister and smiled. “Do you want to see me go through the wall?” he asked.

“ _Sí_.”  She replied, smiling. Bart got out of his seat and walked over to the wall. Pressing his back against the brick, Bart concentrated. Next thing he knew, he was on the other side of the wall in the hallway. He phased through the wall again and resumed his seat. Mr and Mrs Reyes were looking at him, impressed. Jaime’s sister was smiling widely and laughing. Jaime raised an eyebrow but kept eating.

“Impressive.” Mr Reyes praised. This time, Bart did blush. Only small talk was used during the remainder of the meal. Bart was heartily embarrassed and flattered at the same time. Jaime smiled to himself at Bart’s embarrassment. Not in a mean way. It was cute that Bart was completely thrown off by the attention. It was sweet how Bart interacted with Jaime's little sister. He was sweet.

After the meal, Bart and Jaime were volunteered to take the plates out and they agreed to do the washing up. Jaime filled the sink with soapy water and passed the clean plates to Bart, who whizzed around and put them away in the cupboards. The two emerged after a few minutes, to the complete surprise of the adults.

“That didn’t take long.” Mrs Reyes commented.

“A perk of being a speedster: chores are no problem.” Bart replied, smiling shyly.

“Okay, so what are you boys going to do now?” Mrs Reyes asked.

“I thought we could go watch a movie in my room?” Jaime suggested, turning to his friend. Bart nodded.

“Sounds good.” He agreed. The two settled down to watch the film, both sitting on Jaime’s bed facing the small laptop on his bedside table. It was a good film; there were a lot of explosions and gun shots. Inevitably, the heat of El Paso and the comfort of his companion, and staying up all night on watch took its toll on Bart, and he started to feel sleepy. Jaime saw this coming and gently draped a blanket over the two of them, so when Bart fell asleep, he wouldn’t fall off the bed. Bart shifted closer and let sleep overwhelm him. Jaime smiled when he realised Bart was asleep on him. The comfort he received from Bart was always still there, and he began to feel drowsy from it as well.

A few hours later, Mrs Reyes tapped on Jaime’s door with a small tray of snacks in her hand. When no reply came, she gently pushed open the door and walked in. Her eyes caught the two boys asleep, tangled in the blanket and she smiled warmly. Resting the tray on the desk, she creeped back out, not wanting to disturb the two. Bart and Jaime slept for most of the day, regenerating from the exhausting rollercoaster of emotions they’d been through in the last few days alone. And somehow, it didn’t matter. They had each other.


	5. It'll Be Okay.... It Always Is.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When you're best friend doubles up as your saviour, you know you can't be just friends anymore.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> FLUFF WARNING! I give up now! I've been debating putting a real moment between the two for ages and I was against it because I didn't know how it would be received by people reading. Then I found pairing video's on YouTube and decided to go ahead and finish the whole thing off with some fluff. Don't like it, then please stop reading now. If you don't mind a romantic moment, please proceed:

“So, first day back at school. Nervous?” Bart asked, escorting Jaime down the dusty road to Rio Grande High School.

“A little. More of the teachers, they'll want to know why I haven't been at school.” Jaime admitted, tucking his hands into his hoodie pockets.

“Remember the alibi. You've had the flu and you couldn't come into school because you weren't strong enough.” Bart reminded him. Nightwing had come up with it (genius, huh?) when Bart had called for advice. It was an alright alibi, they even had a fake doctor's note done by members of the team. 

“I know, I know hermano.” Jaime reassured Bart, smiling slightly as the school came into view. “What are you going to do now?” Jaime inquired, nerves bubbling in his stomach. 

“Head round to see Jay and Joan, tell them I'm alright. Maybe go to the Hall if I feel lonely.” Bart replied, stifling a yawn. Jaime smiled warmly at him.

“I think you need to catch up on sleep. You stayed up all night on guard.” Jaime suggested. 

“How'd you know?” Bart asked, stifling another yawn.

“The Scarab, remember?” Jaime reminded him, jerking his shoulder as if he wanted to point to the Scarab but decided against it. The school gates came into view and Jaime sighed. “I guess I'll see you at 3:40. Don't get into trouble while I'm at school. Okay _hermano_.” Jaime said kindly, smiling at Bart. Bart watched Jaime walk into the school building, meeting up with a few people on the way. The bell rang and everyone standing outside funnelled into the school building. Bart shook a hand through his hair and walked away from the rustic gates. He was in civvies so no one would know who he was, even if they cared. Jaime's family knew Bart was a superhero going by the name ‘Impulse’, but them knowing didn't bother Bart. He never got why people were obsessed with secret identities. Maybe it was because, in the future, you didn't really even have _one_ identity, never mind _two_. Everything was weird in the past, retro and totally crash, but weird. A good weird. 

 

3:40 pm rolled around before Bart knew it, and he raced to the school. Luckily, no one saw the young kid running almost at the speed of sound through El Paso. Jaime saw him standing by the gates and walked over, bringing some people with him.

“Hey Bart.” Jaime greeted, moving so he wasn't bombarded by people desperate to get home. “Bart, these are some of my friends.” Jaime gestured to the small crowd of people and they looked at Bart warily. Bart felt like they were silently judging him, and he didn't like that.

“Hi.” He said, recalling some of his joyful speedster spirit.

“So where you from Bart?” One of the people asked, taking in his appearance. 

“Central City. I live with my great-grandparents.” Bart confessed, feeling awkward under the looks he got.

“So what brings you to El Paso?” Another friend interrogated, looking a lot more laid back than the rest. He had a pair of headphones around his neck and a cap pulled low over his eyes.

“I'm staying with Jaime for a while. It's only temporary.” Bart admitted, casting a look at Jaime. He seemed agitated. 

“Well, we'd best be off. _Adios_ _amigos. Hasta mañana_.” Jaime called over his shoulder, steering Bart away from the school.

“You okay Blue?” Bart asked, the nickname spilling out of him from habit. 

“Yeah. I just thought you'd appreciate some food.” Jaime replied, guiding Bart to an ice cream parlour. “I’ll pay.” Jaime reassured him, striding up to the counter and ordered for the two of them. While the man behind the till made the sundae's Bart could see The Scarab was communicating to Jaime and he just managed to catch ‘I am not talking about this now.’ from Jaime. The man must have heard whispers too because he gave the pair an odd look. Paying swiftly, Jaime dragged Bart out and they started walking. 

“This is good.” Bart commented, savouring the cool of the treat. 

“They've got dozens of different flavours; I just thought you'd like vanilla best.” Jaime said, scooping more ice cream into his mouth. The two just walked down the street, chatting away.

“So, how was school?” Bart asked nonchalantly. Or as nonchalant as you can be when you're Bart.

“Boring really. The teachers bought the illness thing, and they didn't give me any homework for the week.” Jaime recalled, finishing the ice cream. Bart had long since inhaled all of his, so Bart took the carton off Jaime and put it in a nearby bin. “What did you do today?” Jaime inquired, not a lot more discreet than Bart.

“I went out into the desert for a while after stopping by the Garrick’s. You have no idea how crash it is to run, full speed in the desert. You don't have to worry about people seeing you because you're all alone. It's so crash!” Bart replied. Jaime looked at him curiously.

“I wouldn't know about that, since I can only fly. But I know what you mean about the not worrying thing.” Jaime chipped in, trying his hardest to ignore the Scarab welded to his spine. 

“Come on then.” Bart prompted, taking Jaime's hand and dragging them in the direction of the desert. It took a moment (and an explanation from the Scarab) for Jaime to realise what was going on. He smiled and ducked into a side alley, swiftly morphing into Blue Beetle. Bart stayed guard, the two of them disappearing out the other end of the alley. Bart pulled a pair of goggles out of his pocket and slipped them over his eyes. 

“Ready _hermano_?" Jaime challenged, poised to start flying. 

“Try to keep up.” Bart replied, smiling brightly. He zipped away, a blur of blue jeans and brown t-shirt. Jaime smiled and launched, racing off at top speed. Of course he could never catch up with Bart - the guy could vibrate through walls - but Jaime defiantly tried. They reached the desert and Jaime lowered his altitude so he was around level with Bart. Sand whirred up around the duo, flying up almost a high as Jaime was flying. Bart looked over his shoulder to search for the unmistakeable Blue Beetle armour. He was not prepared for Jaime to be charging at him, ready to tackle him to the ground. 

The sand settled, small particles landing on the two. They had rolled to a stop on the ground, and looked at each other. Bart was breathless from running, and Jaime was panting at the familiar rush of flying again. Their eyes met each other. They stayed silent for a minute. Suddenly, they both just started laughing. They kept laughing, laughing away reality and the stress they knew was coming. Laughing until their lungs hurt. The Blue Beetle armour shrunk back, revealing a grinning Jaime. The two lay on their back, staring up at the sky. Night was beginning to settle, and stars were starting to emerge. 

“Now I know why you like the desert so much.” Jaime commented, sinking into the ground comfortably. 

“Yeah hermano.” Bart replied, pronouncing the 'H' in hermano. Jaime laughed again. 

“You can't speak Spanish.” He told the speedster firmly. 

“Can too.” Bart protested, sitting up on the sand. Jaime smiled slyly and sat up as well.

“Okay, roll your ‘R’s.” Jaime ordered. Bart made a sound somewhere between Perry the Platypus and a tiger growling. He looked sheepishly over at Jaime, who was literally rolling around, gripping his stomach with laughter. Tears of laughter creeped up on Jaime and he sat wheezing. Bart blushed furiously and looked put out. Finally calming down, Jaime looked up at Bart, still grinning like a hyena.

“Fine, you roll your ‘R’s.” Bart demanded, crossing his arms. Jaime breathed deeply, his lungs still hurting and rolled his ‘R’s perfectly (which wasn’t surprising in the slightest because he was bilingual).

“You just don’t have the certain flare for speaking Spanish.” Jaime said, still smiling. He grinned wider when he saw Bart’s blush deepen.

“Can you teach me?” Bart asked, an odd quality to his voice. It was intriguing.

“It’s just something you have, sorry Barrt.” Jaime chimed, stressing the ‘R’. If it was possible, Bart flushed deeper still.

“Okay then, how much do you know?” Bart continued, a very minute tease in his voice. Jaime picked up on it, allowing Bart to shift over.

“Enough, _mi_ _amado_.” Jaime teased, shifting through the sand with his hand. They were sitting very close, maybe an inch or so of desert separating them.

“And what does that mean?” Bart asked naïvely, looking into Jaime’s deep brown eyes. He saw the heavens reflected in them, shining brightly.

“It means my dear,” Jaime replied, closing the gap. “ _E res el más dulce_.”

“And that means...?” Bart prompted, smiling at his own innocence.

“I’ll tell you later.” Jaime promised, smiling. Bart smiled back. They moved closer together and let the emotions engulf them. Jaime slipped his hand behind Bart’s neck and pulled him closer, pressing his lips against Bart’s. Bart wrapped his arms around Jaime’s back, pulling him so they had no distance between them. Stars above their heads twinkled innocently, the only witnesses to the scene below.

Finally, they broke apart, breathing deeply. Smiling more honestly then he ever had done before, Bart looked up at the sky, stunned it was so dark. Without knowing it, him and Jaime had both shifted onto their knees, and even then Jaime was still taller, but not by as much.

“Nightwing always said dating in the team was a bad idea.” Bart reminded Jaime, the tease back in his voice.

“We aren’t really good at following orders though Bart, in case you haven’t noticed.” Jaime replied, a laugh in the back of his voice.

“True.” Bart agreed, this time making the first move. Jaime’s other hand rested on his back, sinking into the kiss.

They didn’t need anyone else on the team for support anymore. All they needed was each other.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, to clarify: 'te son los mas dulces' means 'you are the sweetest' in Spanish. (I can't do the accents in the notes bit, blast!)


	6. Epiloge

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Okay, the last chapter was meant to be it. End. The finale. But then I decided to lie and do an epilogue.   
> sorrynotsorry but this is fluff-tastic and all about them telling the team they're an item.

Epilogue:

 

“Oh, it feels good to be on a mission again. The last one was too easy.” Jaime remarked, letting the Blue Beetle armour encase him. Nightwing folded his arms, desperately hoping he would at least stick with the briefing and not do something crazy. Admittedly, the last mission he was sent on was an easy one to get him back into the swing of things, but Nightwing was still concerned.

“Remember Blue, this is just a stakeout. You, Impulse, Robin and Beast Boy are going to watch all exit points of this building.” Nightwing reminded him, bringing up an image of an old-fashioned building with a neon sign on the front.

“If you see the mark leave the building, do _not_ engage. Radio Alpha squad and we’ll take over, following them in the bio-ship. Do not attack or pursue in any way.” Nightwing repeated, glaring specifically at Jaime and Bart. He was _really_ hoping they still had some respect for him.

“Watch the building, radio Alpha, don’t attack.” Jaime checked, making sure the scarab could hear. He grumbled about how that was a waste of their abilities, but Jaime had gotten very good and ignoring him.

“Right, dismissed.” Nightwing said, turning back to the computer screen. The four moved over to the zeta tube and were immediately transported to Star City, where they took their places. All four of them were on separate rooftops surrounding the targeted building. Beast Boy had taken the form of a small bird and was located to the north of the building, perched in a tree. Robin was to the west, standing in case he did have to engage (Batman had taught him to never be off-guard. _Ever_.) Bart was to the south, monitoring the back exit, and Jaime was to the east. Minutes turned to hours as they waited for the person to emerge. Pretty soon, they were all really bored.

“Are you sure the guys even in there, _hermano_?” Jaime asked irritably over the communicator, sitting on the rooftop wall that stood a foot high.

“Nightwing said they had info that he regularly visits this establishment. We just have to be patient.” Robin replied, insanely bored himself. If they weren’t ment to engage, why not get someone like Mal to do this? Why those four?

“Bored?” Bart questioned, tuning his communicator so Jaime could hear.

“Very much, _cariño_.” Jaime replied, resting his chin on his hand. Bart smiled and whizzed over to Jaime’s rooftop, careful to be quite.

“I can’t fix that.” Bart stated, causing Jaime to jump up in shock. He laughed when he saw it was only the speedster. Bart smiled again, moving closer to Jaime. The Blue Beetle armour shrank back and Bart wrapped his arms around Jaime’s waist. Jaime leaned in and draped his arms around Bart’s shoulders. He’d recently shot up so they were the same height now.

“You should be back on your roof.” Jaime pointed out, rolling his ‘R’s ever so slightly. Bart caught on and smirked.

“Since when have we really taken Nightwing seriously? Plus, you’re bored, so I’m here to stop you being bored.” Bart answered, his goggles balanced along his hairline, out of the way.

“Oh, that’s kind, _cari_ _ño_.” Jaime stated, his brown eyes locking onto Bart’s.

“Just looking after my Blue.” Bart said, leaning in to Jaime. Jaime smiled and closed the gap, gently kissing Bart. A memory flittered through their heads. One that still made the two smile; even after almost a fortnight of being an sort-of-official couple. Suddenly, Robin’s voice filled their ears, forcing the two apart.

“I just spotted our guy. Alpha squad move in.” Robin ordered. The signal went silent and the couple looked at each other. Laughter rang through the air as they laughed in relief.

“I guess we don’t need to be on guard anymore.” Bart stated, pulling Jaime in for another kiss.

“Were you actually ever _on_ guard?!” Robin demanded, appearing alongside Beast Boy at the edge of the roof. Jaime and Bart broke apart, both blushing deeply. They didn’t speak, but silently turned to their (quite annoyed) teammates. “You were supposed to be watching in case the suspect came out. And why aren’t you Blue Beetle right now? We’re on a mission.” Robin demanded, stalking over to them. Beast Boy was more bewildered than annoyed.

“We know we were on a mission. The man didn’t show.” Jaime protested, his blush reducing slightly.

“What if he did?” Robin continued, squaring up to the older boy.

“We wouldn’t have done anything except radio Alpha. If we were told to engage, then we...” Jaime trailed off, feeling heat rise on his face again. Robin knew the end of the sentence and wasn’t happy. Beast Boy stood beside Robin, looking really confused.

“I’ll have to tell Nightwing.” Robin said simply.

“It won’t surprise him.” Jaime replied, regretting his words.

“So you have done this on a mission before?” Robin asked in shock, looking at his teammates. Bart sighed and linked his hand with Jaime’s. Robin and Beast Boy’s eyes widened in shock. They looked at Jaime, silently demanding an explanation.

“We’re together.” Bart said, knowing Jaime wasn’t going to answer. Bart felt pressure around his hand and knew Jaime was grateful he had just said it.

“Since when?” Beast Boy demanded, feeling slightly shell-shocked.

“A fortnight.” Jaime replied, shifting very slightly closer.

“Nightwing knows?” Robin asked, letting go of a little bit of his anger.

“Nightwing knows everything.” Bart said, releasing Jaime’s hand and wrapping his arm back around his waist. “And now you know about us. It’s all totally crash.” Jaime snaked his arm around Bart and pulled him close.

“ _Gracias,_ _mi amor_.” Jaime whispered to Bart, leaning in close. Bart smiled and quickly pressed their lips together. Beast Boy turned away, really feeling awkward about the situation.

“We still need to get back to the Hall.” Robin pointed out, trying to be the mature one. Bart and Jaime pulled away, looking into each other’s eyes.

“Its crash, we’ve stopped.” Bart called out to Beast Boy, still ensnared by Jaime. Beast Boy tentatively turned around and failed to hide his discomfort.

“Sorry you had to find out this way _amigo_. We just didn’t want to tell anyone just yet.” Jaime apologised, not relinquishing his hold on Bart and not wanting Bart to let go.

“Noted.” Beast Boy replied. “Can we get back now?” he asked, leaping off the roof. He quickly morphed into a bird and stopped himself plummeting. Robin shrugged and shot a grappling hook into a nearby building.

“Ready to face the wrath of Nightwing, _mi cari_ _ño_?” Jaime asked, the Blue Beetle armour encasing him so he could fly to the zeta tube. He broke away from Bart and took a step towards the edge of the roof. He looked over at his shoulder.

“If you’re with me.” Bart answered correctly, pulling Jaime back and gripping his shoulders. Bart dragged Jaime down into a kiss and slunk his arms around his neck, forcing Jaime to stay there. Jaime enclosed Bart and forgot everything around them. It was only him and Bart. And he wanted to stay that way forever.

 

Beast Boy looked back and saw the encounter before turning his attention to Robin.

“You knew didn’t you?” he questioned, following Robin to the zeta tube.

“I’m Batman’s protégé. I know everything.” Robin answered, tapping a few keys by the zeta tube. Beast Boy smiled at the arrogance and stepped before the scanner.

 

“ _Mi_ _s_ _alvador_.” Jaime murmured, panting to pull oxygen into his lungs.

“That means?” Bart whispered, resting his forehead on Jaime’s. His green eyes were fixed on the glossy brown eyes directly in front of him.

“Never mind.” Jaime said, kissing Bart again. Bart smiled through the kiss, letting Jaime off this one time. The familiar sensation of time freezing for only these two, set in. The night looked upon fondly. The secret moment between two people who need each other to survive. Who need the comfort only the other can provide, just to keep sane in a crazy world.

 

“Come on Bart, we should probably tell the rest of the team.” Jaime persisted. They were lying on the sofa, facing each other. Bart lay with his shoulders against the back of the sofa and Jaime was balancing between him and the edge, most of the others were on a mission, and all who weren’t were nowhere to be found.

“I know. I don’t like hiding this from them either. But we just can’t find the right time.” Bart agreed, cuddling up to Jaime closer. “Besides, I like have you as my little secret from the others.” Bart whispered in Jaime’s ear. Jaime smiled teasingly and made a very small purring noise that he could easily pass off as a cough. Bart smiled even wider and kissed Jaime gently, gripping the front of his hoodie. Jaime held Bart close and kissed him back hungrily. Since they hadn’t told most of the team (excluding the Bats who almost obviously knew, and Beast Boy) they hadn’t had as much time together without it being deemed suspicious.

They stayed together, only moving to gasp for breath before quickly filling the space between them again. A moment like this was rare, and they didn’t want to waste it doing something other than spending it together. Time stopped for them again, but this time it decided to mock them a little.

The zeta tubes whirled into life, causing the two boys to pull apart in shock. Unfortunately, both of them were still too dazed to realise it was the team. The team walked out of the zeta beam transporter and stopped, catching the top of Jaime’s head duck below the top of the sofa cushions. Curiously, some of them moved forwards, their guard fully up. They heard frantic whispers emitting from just over the sofa.

“They’re going to find out anyway, _cari_ _ño_.” One voice hissed.

“Not like this.” The second voice whispered back. Very suddenly scared, Wondergirl stepped over and screeched, taking a few steps back (purely out of shock, mind you) to regroup with her team mates. A moment later, Bart and Jaime stood up, holding each other’s hand for strength. Robin and Beats Boy slowly moved to the edge of the group because they knew it was confession time for the two lovebirds.

“We can explain.” Bart said quickly.

“You were kissing! Please explain that!” Wondergirl exclaimed, quite shaken if she was honest. Monsters and super-villains were no problem for her; it was just insanely weird to imagine Bart and Blue Beetle as a couple.

“Yes please explain.” Bumblebee added, crossing her arms over her chest.

“Oh my God! You two are a couple! Since when?” M’gann demanded, completely the opposite of Wondergirl: she thought it was really sweet. The rest of the team turned wide-eyed to Jaime and Bart. Bart blushed very slightly and Jaime smiled, knowing how easily his boyfriend got embarrassed.

“Three weeks. Almost a month.” Jaime answered; relieved they at least didn’t have to hide anymore.

“Whoa, three weeks and you didn’t find out Nightwing. Must make you feel...” Wondergirl said, looking up at their leader, who stayed suspiciously silent. Comprehension dawned on her and her eyes widened. “You knew about them. Why didn’t you tell anyone?!” she demanded.

“It wasn’t my place to say.” Nightwing replied, the domino mask hiding an uneasy expression.

“Well, it’s obvious Nightwing would know. But he couldn’t have been the only one. Who else?” Bumblebee mused, looking around at the other faces. Her eyes locked on Robin and Beast Boy, who looked like they wanted to be anywhere else.

“I think the Boy Wonder and Mr Shape-Shifter know something.” Batgirl commented, catching the guilty expression.

“We know.” Beast Boy admitted.

“So Robin, Nightwing and Beast Boy knew. Anyone else?” M’gann asked, not expecting an answer.

“We only told them. But you guys all know now, so it’s all crash.” Bart said happily, stepping closer to Jaime and feeling an arm rest around his waist.

“We’re sorry you had to find out like this _amigos_.” Jaime apologised.

“L’gann, Superboy and Mal don’t know yet.” M’gann pointed out evilly.

“And we’d appreciate if you told them about this.” Jaime replied, provoking laughter from the girls. “I’m serious.” Jaime added.

“Okay. You don’t have to tell them.” M’gann promised, moving off to find her own boyfriend.

 

“Blue, I need your help to track down Whisper A’Daire again.” Superboy said, walking up to Jaime, who was just about to leave via zeta tube.

“I can’t _hermano_. I’ve got a date with Bart.” He explained, very impatient to go.

“You’re going on a date with Bart. I didn’t know you were a couple.” Superboy commented, realising that Jaime did look different. He was wearing a professional-looking jacket over a newly ironed shirt.

“M’gann told me... look, I’ve got to go. Remind me to find M’gann when I get back. Sorry about the mission, someone can do it. Oh, and would you mind telling Lagoon Boy about me and Bart. I need revenge of M’gann.”  Jaime said hurriedly, stepping into the zeta beams. Superboy laughed lightly and turned around.

“You know he will hate you now M’gann.” Superboy said apparently to no one. Suddenly, the figure of Miss Martian materialised a few feet away from Superboy. L’gann stepped out into the open as well, laughing to himself.

“Yeah.” She answered, lowering her hood.

“They are really a couple? Off all the people, it was those two that got together?” L’gann asked, slinking his arm around M’gann’s shoulder.

“Try not to tease them too much L’gann.” She said lightly, sinking into him.

“of course babe.” He promised

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is it, I promise 
> 
> (for now). No, seriously, this is the end of this fic. But who knows, maybe I will get bored again in school and think up another one. until we meet again.
> 
> (man I sound formal)


End file.
